THE Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) is shifting from internal defense operations to territorial defense operations.
This came after Westmincom’s success in the campaign against terrorism and insurgency in its area of jurisdiction.
The 102nd Infantry Brigade earlier said on January 16 that the last active guerrilla front of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) of the New People’s Army (NPA) has been finally dismantled with the surrender of the last two remaining members of the NPA’s Guerrilla Front Sendong.
The 102nd Infantry Brigade said Bebelin Labastida and Matias Gaquit, both deputy secretaries of the weakened Guerrilla Front Sendong, have voluntarily surrendered to the military forces in Danao village, Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte.
Brigadier General Taharudin Ampatuan, Westmincom deputy commander for external defense operations, met with Commodore Marco Antonio Gines, Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao (CGDSWM) commander, on Friday, January 19, to discuss mechanisms concerning territorial defense.
The meeting took place at the headquarters of CGDSWM in Lower Calarian village, Zamboanga City.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard are strengthening collaborative efforts to intensify operations to sustain national sovereignty and protect the country’s territory. (SunStar Zamboanga)